Difference in the potentials of electrodes on the right and left of a galvanic cell.
When
is positive, positive charge flows from left to right through the cell.
Note:
The limiting value of
for zero current flowing through the cell, all local charge transfer and chemical
equilibria being established, was formerly called
emf (
electromotive force). The name
electromotive force and the symbol
emf are no longer recommended, since a potential difference is not a force.
Source:
PAC, 1996, 68, 957
(Glossary of terms in quantities and units in Clinical Chemistry (IUPAC-IFCC Recommendations
1996))
on page 971
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
